Articles Written by Katie

About Katie:
Katie has been a product and textile designer, an art restoration specialist, and an interior designer/merchandiser. Her interests are focused on finding well designed items that improve daily life as well as reading fiction and making stuff.
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Harris Sofa by Montauk

Sofas are the most important of furnishings, right up there with mattresses. After all, we spend lots of time on our sofas- reading, watching shows and movies, sleeping. So, you might as well invest in something you really, truly love, right? For a recent project I looked and looked for the right sofa: it needed to be at least 8′ long, low, streamlined and soft. As in, take-a-nap-on-it soft. As is my usual luck, Montauk Sofa, which is not in my state, and only has showrooms that required me to get on a plane to see the sofa in person, had the right match: the Harris Sofa.(more…)

Weekly Desk Pad

Do you like mapping out certain weeks, jotting down what notes you need to write to whomever deserves it? Keep track of your agenda with this fill-in ‘Social Preparedness Kit’ calendar from Egg Press. It’s laid out on a minimal white page, with plenty of room to get your social p’s and q’s organized.(more…)

Monochrome Belgian Dart Set

Darts, anyone? Set, aim, and fire with these finely balanced darts. Done in a monochrome color scheme, the set will easily work in a games room (or whatever other room of the house you deem appropriate). Birchwood barrels and shafts with polished steel tips make up the darts, while the basswood board has “hydraulically-inserted” brass guidelines delineating the scoring rings. All these fine materials will hopefully last a lifetime (just be sure to throw the darts towards the dartboard, not at any short tempered, maniacal guests).(more…)

Nokori Folding Chair

Is this the nicest folding chair you’ve seen in a while, or what? Hand-rubbed mahogany wood combined with heavy English Bridle leather make this chair sturdy and stylish. Easy to move from room to room and easy to store, it’s a sure bet that you’ll not regret adding one (or two) of these to your home for extra seating options should the need arise. Available in Black or Natural.(more…)

Box Modular Jewelry Container

When an ordinary box just won’t do, take a look at the Modular Jewelry Container. Made of solid walnut, it has four stackable pieces that may be repositioned to accommodate different shapes and sizes of watches and other jewelry. Take a look at the video to get a better idea of the size and how the trays can be flipped to make more room on a tier.(more…)

10×10 Shelves

Now, fair warning, this pair of shelves isn’t cheap. However, each 10×10 shelf may be installed in either orientation, which gives you a variety of arrangements suitable in many locations throughout your home. Maybe your office needs an extra ledge, or a spot to put extra books? Perhaps your bathroom needs more storage space for lotions, or all those beauty potions? There you go, two problems solved with one set of shelves. And, if you’re thinking that the 24″ length is a tad too small, you’ll be happy to hear that custom sizing (and wood species and finishes) are available.(more…)

Ixtapa Loveseat

Are you itching to get your outdoor space set up for the summer? If so, take a look at the Ixtapa Loveseat currently on sale for $319. Think of it as two seats, as in $159.50 per seat, and you’ll see the value. Handwoven white PVC cord over a black powder-coated steel frame makes it outdoor friendly, and it will work with whatever color scheme you already have planned.(more…)

Eau Carafe

Similar to black + blum’s ‘Eau Good’ Filter Water Bottle, this Eau Carafe is the ideal candidate for storing water in your fridge. A binchotan active charcoal filter purifies the water while the overall shape is pleasing to hold and pour from; it’s even nice enough to keep it out during dinner. You can’t say that for many water purifiers.(more…)

Mail Slot Bowl by Dan Sjogren

No matter how neat and clutter free we attempt to be, there’s still a fair amount of mail, keys, and miscellany that follow us through our front doors. To conquer this choas, consider the Mail Slot Bowl by Dan Sjogren. It will keep your most recent paper correspondence lined up neatly in a row. Will it force you to take stock of which documents go to the recycle bin and which go to the filing drawer? Eh, maybe. It also has a reasonably sized bowl to park your keys, which might mean you’ll never lose them again. We can hope.(more…)

Kiki Toolbox Keyring

Another EDC tool thingamajig? Yep, and it ticks all the boxes, just as you’d expect. Plus, it comes in a leather sheath for a friendlier feel on your keyring. Bottle opener, standard and metric ruler, spoke wrench, hex drive, small and large pry bar, and screwdriver- that’s what you get all on one small tool. Fit it alongside your keys so you’re prepared for anything, anywhere.(more…)

Felt Bedside Caddy

In theory, it’s probably best to reduce the amount of bedside clutter or get a bigger nightstand than add in an extra little pocket caddy. However, if you absolutely have to have all your stuff (and you can’t find the right nightstand) then maybe it’s okay to get this little guy. Temporarily. Technically, it fits sofas as well, but, please, please, please try to avoid that usage by any means necessary- unless you can hide it behind a cushion or next to a wall. Why? Because this. Avoid that association, or else you’ll cause significant aesthetic discomfort*.(more…)

The Hot Seat from Bend Goods

Looking to fill up your outdoor space with furniture? You should be aware that there’s a sale on Bend Goods over at one particular retailer, and, at 20% off, you could snap up a few deals. Take the Hot Seat, for example. Normally, it’s at a semi-scary price of $3,200, but now it’s $2,560. Still a bit too high for your wallet? Check out their more petite lounges (like the Bunny Lounge) and their accessories (Bend Baskets, anyone?).(more…)

Giant Coloring Roll by Jeff Koons

Love or hate Jeff Koons, you’ve got to agree a $30 giant coloring roll is a good idea for almost anyone. Pin it on the wall or roll it out on the floor for hours of meditative coloring- at home or in the office. There’s a roll by Keith Haring, too, if that’s a better fit for your aesthetic sensibilities*. Should you wish to use a paintbrush instead of markers and pencils, be sure to consider the Large Paint Tin Set with Haring imagery ($22) as an accompaniment. Fun!(more…)